


Soldier, Poet, King

by princemango9



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dadza, Found Family, Gen, Rating May Change, more tags will be added as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27654155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princemango9/pseuds/princemango9
Summary: Philza is an adventurer drawn to the danger of exploration. Never did he think his journey to the least hospitable places in the Over World and below would bring him his three sons. Kindness grows in the most unusual places, but can Philza really save them all?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Soldier, Poet, King

Philza had heard of the Nether only in fairytales. It was a land of fire and brimstone where lava flowed like oceans and savage monsters roamed. It was a story told by campfires, a story meant to scare kids, a warning of where you’ll end up if you live a dishonest life. It was an old myth that most forgot into adulthood, but Philza hadn’t. He was going to find it. 

Philza was an adventurer, having been for years now. He explored forgotten temples, long lost libraries, and hidden strongholds. He didn’t do it for money, but for the thrill of exploring the dangerous parts of the Over World few dared to go. An adventurer’s worth was determined by how willing he was to put his life on the line for discovery; Philza was near suicidal. 

The number of times he’d crawled back home or the nearest town bleeding and with a few broken bones were unmatched. But, he always came back with a newly drawn map and a triumphant smile. He was well known for being reckless and going on seemingly impossible journeys, but he’d yet to come back empty-handed. When word of his quest for the Nether spread, letters from friends urged him to call it off. They told him it was a waste of time and resources, but Philza wasn’t deterred. He was drawn to the danger of the hunt and the Nether would be his greatest challenge. 

Collecting enough obsidian to make the fifteen-foot tall portal took weeks. The heat from the planet’s core cooked Philza as he mined. Sweat dripped down his arms, loosening his grip on his pickaxe. The promise of adventure pulled Philza forward each morning even when his aching limbs screamed otherwise. For hours on end, he worked mining then pulling materials to the surface. Until finally, he was done. 

Philza placed the final piece of the portal. The dark purple frame loomed over him, a menacing sight in the quiet forest. Philza looked his grave head-on with a diamond sword in hand and armor dawned. He took a deep breath before pulling a flint and steel from his bag. Lighting the portal would prove if this was the biggest discovery of his career or make him a laughing stock. Only one way to find out. 

The moment the portal lit a rush of heat flew out forcing Philza to take a few steps back. Just as quickly the air was sucked back in. In and out it moved like it was breathing. The wind stilled. Every creature in the forest silenced, holding their breath in unison. Was it out of fear or respect? Philza swelled with pride. 

_ It worked! _

He collected himself this wasn’t the time to celebrate. This was just the beginning now he had to make it back alive. When Philza stepped into the portal a terrible heat overtook him. The liquid filled his mouth, his ears, his lungs. He tried to scream, but the heat only went deeper suffocating him, burning him. Then there was nothing. The heat disappeared as did his being. Philza stumbled out of the portal gasping for breath only for soot and ash to fill him. He gulped down a bottle of water trying to adjust and regain his senses. He launched into a coughing fit causing him to nearly throw up the precious water. Philza took in a few raspy breaths before his vision cleared allowing him to take in his surroundings. 

The portal sat in a cave of Netherack, a red stone-like material that burned Philza’s fingertips where he sat. Outside of the cave, an ocean of lava flowed. The depths of the Nether were lit only by the molten lava flowing from the ceiling and the glowing crystals adorning it like fine jewels. Turquoise and crimson trees winded their roots deep into the Nether’s floor. Flowers and oddly colored grass bloomed at their bases while fire danced ferociously among them. Philza was amazed that life could find a place even here, where it was never meant to be. 

But life flourished in the Nether much like in the Over World. Ghasts flew through the air, their cries resonating off Netherrack walls. Piglins patrolled the forests with crossbows drawn and swords at the ready. Philza watched a group of five take down a boar-like creature he hadn’t read about in his studies. He scribbled down their hunting style and the victory shriek let out as the creature plummeted, taking its’ final breath. Philza wandered through the Nether in awe. It was so unlike the stories he’d been told; this place of pain and anguish was brimming with growth and beauty. 

He journaled the new creatures he found; the Strider, the Magma Cube, the Zombie Pigmen. He took samples of flowers and bits of glowstone, ready to dissect them the moment he returned home. Philza was carefully drawing his map when the explosion went off. Shards of Netherack filled the air singing his hair and clothes. He dodged the second attack at the Ghast’s cry barely avoiding the fireball. Philza pulled his bow and arrow from his bag readying it in seconds. The arrow met its’ target. The Ghast deflated at the single shot and let out an anguished cry as it fell. Another explosion rang to his right. 

Fire nipped at his pants singing them and eating what it could. Philza stamped out the flame and ran to take cover in the twisted forests. The Piglins scattered as another fireball decimated their home. Inhumane shrieks filled the air and Philza’s senses. From his cover behind a tree, he couldn’t see the Ghast, only hearing its cries mixed with the retreating Piglins. A dozen trees burst into flames behind him sending burning splinters raining down below. Philza needed to make this shot. 

He readied his bow then aimed between the blue leaves of the tree. His fingers slick from the sweat running down his arm, Philza released the arrow. It shot straight through the tree flying with the speed of the rocket up and up, but it missed. Narrowly grazing the Ghast’s tendrils down the arrow plummeted. It plunged with a sick squelching into the arm of a Piglin. The creature let out a scream that mixed a man’s shout with a pig’s squeal. 

A bolt clipped the tree Philza hid behind narrowly missing his face. Then came another, then another, this time knicking his shoulder.  _ Run.  _ Philza’s feet beat against the ground taking a larger step each time. He weaved through the dense forest firing arrows at any Piglin he could see and blindly at others. He reached into his bag for another only to come out empty-handed. He swore but unsheathed his sword. Philza cleared the forest to find himself running along a shore of lava. A Piglin blocked his path brandishing a sword of its own. The creature stabbed forward, but Philza dodged its attack. He grabbed its arm pulling it forward impaling it on his blade. Philza threw the creature’s body aside, but the shooting pain in his shoulder told him he acted a second too slow. Philza touched the bolt stuck in his shoulder wincing at the pain. He lurched forward. Another bolt was shot into his arm. Philza shouted another swear and dropped his sword from the searing pain. Hoove steps and squeals were growing louder he needed to move  _ now.  _

Philza’s nerves screamed at his fast pace, but his adrenaline pushed him forward. Burning Netherack flew into the sky only feet behind him. A flurry of bolts flew past his head knicking his legs and torso. Philza jumped over a lava lake stumbling on the landing. He fell to his knees and his arm screamed at the impact. His breathing was shallow and his vision blurred with tears. They weren’t far away now, but the squeals were only an echo.  _ What a piss poor way to go out.  _

Then, he saw it. A cobblestone building only a hundred meters away. A Piglin’s squeal brought Philza to his senses. He scrambled to his feet launching himself forward with every ounce of strength he had left. He rammed open the door with his good shoulder. The lock shattered, but Philza held it closed with his back. The Piglins pounded against the wooden door nearly knocking Philza off his feet. In the corner of the room, he spotted a furnace. Quickly, he pushed it against the door just before the Piglins caved it in. 

One, two, three seconds; the beating stopped. Philza collapsed to the floor, exhausted. He drank his final bottle of water, relishing the cool liquid on his tongue. Setting the glass bottle aside, he carefully examined his wounds. Gingerly touching them sent shockwaves through his arm. Blood stained his robe sleeve and armor. There was no way of removing the bolts without bleeding out. Philza began constructing his escape plan. The Piglins would forget about him soon then he could-

_ Click, click, click. _

The sound of a crossbow being pulled back. Philza looked behind him. A bolt pointed straight between his eyes. The hands holding them were human. Philza followed them up to small, muscular arms, to a face hidden behind a mask made from a Piglin’s skull. His captor stood a foot shorter than him, but their intense gaze made Philza feel small. A long pink braid fell past their shoulders barley hiding flicking, pig-like ears. 

The boy spoke, steady and monotone. “Who are you?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow after years of lurking on this website I finally posted! I want to thank the lovely people on the Dreamnobur server for inspiring me to write this and if you're interested feel free to join! https://discord.gg/dRbvamyVnE


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